Post by buckmana on Aug 15, 2015 20:28:13 GMT -5
Recently in Australia, we've had a few shark attacks.
The most recent one was a fatality, but the news report said it is unusual for the state I live in and the last one was 30 years ago.
Surfers (and maybe swimmers) are now calling for a cull on Great Whites, saying the numbers of this shark is too high and causing them to attack humans.
Great Whites are endangered by the way, so their numbers cannot be above sustainable limits.
My patience is wearing thin with these people.
They're so obsessed with killing sharks just so they can swim in safety, they don't think of the wider concerns.
The (and the media) keep portraying sharks as bloodthirsty killers when in truth, they have very little interest in hunting humans.
The first bite is just to determine if the prey is worth killing.
Even the family of the man who was killed insisted that the shark be left alone.
There are many ways to protect beachgoers from sharks without needing to kill them.
The simplest method is just to string a shark net across the beach.
A more costly method is to attach a shark electroshock field generator to your surfboard (it's an array of metal plates about half a meter square) or wear the personal one (a 15cm tube) on your belt.
The former method surfers refused to use because the extra weight of the device unbalanced the surfboard.
I'm not sure if it was ever made available to the public, but a mesh weave suit prevents sharks from severing limbs.
I think if you don't go into the wild with a device that will protect you, you accept full responsibility for what happens next.
The truth of the matter is, there are many animals more likely to attack you then a shark.
It's far more common to be attacked by a dog then a shark.
One report I heard said you are more likely to be killed by a cow then a shark.
And the one story that I keep remembering is a diver in a shark tank was asked once what animal he feared most.
There's 4 four meter sharks in the tank and he points to a 30cm turtle.
When he explains it, the sharks have never bothered him, but the turtle is known to be aggressive towards the divers.
Is it possible that people are just hostile because sharks are not a domestic animal or fit the preconceived notions of "cute animals?".
Do you think people are getting too biased towards sharks?
The most recent one was a fatality, but the news report said it is unusual for the state I live in and the last one was 30 years ago.
Surfers (and maybe swimmers) are now calling for a cull on Great Whites, saying the numbers of this shark is too high and causing them to attack humans.
Great Whites are endangered by the way, so their numbers cannot be above sustainable limits.
My patience is wearing thin with these people.
They're so obsessed with killing sharks just so they can swim in safety, they don't think of the wider concerns.
The (and the media) keep portraying sharks as bloodthirsty killers when in truth, they have very little interest in hunting humans.
The first bite is just to determine if the prey is worth killing.
Even the family of the man who was killed insisted that the shark be left alone.
There are many ways to protect beachgoers from sharks without needing to kill them.
The simplest method is just to string a shark net across the beach.
A more costly method is to attach a shark electroshock field generator to your surfboard (it's an array of metal plates about half a meter square) or wear the personal one (a 15cm tube) on your belt.
The former method surfers refused to use because the extra weight of the device unbalanced the surfboard.
I'm not sure if it was ever made available to the public, but a mesh weave suit prevents sharks from severing limbs.
I think if you don't go into the wild with a device that will protect you, you accept full responsibility for what happens next.
The truth of the matter is, there are many animals more likely to attack you then a shark.
It's far more common to be attacked by a dog then a shark.
One report I heard said you are more likely to be killed by a cow then a shark.
And the one story that I keep remembering is a diver in a shark tank was asked once what animal he feared most.
There's 4 four meter sharks in the tank and he points to a 30cm turtle.
When he explains it, the sharks have never bothered him, but the turtle is known to be aggressive towards the divers.
Is it possible that people are just hostile because sharks are not a domestic animal or fit the preconceived notions of "cute animals?".
Do you think people are getting too biased towards sharks?